Wire stripping tool



Nov. 28, 1944.

E. S. THOMPSON WIRE STRIPPING TOOL Filed Aug. 11, 1945 .f'rnesl 57160171 05011:

Patented Nov, 28,19 4 l vide, a manually actuated tool for cuttingand stripping protective and insulative covers or sheaths fromelectric wireandj'cable; the 'tool being relatively lightweight andsmall, andthus readily manipulated by one hand while the other hand supports the wire or object.

:A further object offthe present invention is to provide a stripping tool of the type described which is arranged to receive and support wires or cables of different diameters, and so that the .tool is operative to ring cut or strip cut the cover of a cable or wire without any adjustment of A further objectis to provide a tool which comprises a pairof intersecting, pivotallylconnectinghandles having hand grips at one end,

a cutting blade mountedon one handle at the other end and projecting toward the other handle, and a wire or cable receiving cradle mounted on said other handle adjacent and opening toward the blade; the cradle including a longitudinal and a transverse wire or cable receiving way whereby the blade can ring out or strip cut, respectively. 7

Anadditional object of the invention is to provide atool, as above, in which said cradle com- A '7 j j wlrms'mrrrmaroon Ernest Th onipson, Stockton, fCalif. a l l p J A licatitn August 11, 1943; seri'arne. watery f I M t l'llaims. total-9.5)

Thisinventionarelates in general to an im "proved elerztricianfs tool, and inparticular the inventionis directed toyand it isan object to pro v structure and relative j arrangement offparts as willfully appear .by "a EperuSa off the fol-lowing views:

Figure 1 is Qing, in dotted lines, a wire or cablejengagedin the tool being necessary to the accomplishment of either operation. The tool, however, is provided with means for ready adjustment of the depth of cut of the cutting blade, if necessary.

in'g handles. 1 pivoted together intermediate the longitudinal wayof t e cradle. Figure 2*is a cross seotiofrrorrline 2 -2of lf1g. l d in the transverse way of the cradle.

Figure 3 is a top view; of thetool. Referring now more particularly to the char- 'acters of reference on the drawing, my improved electricians tool comprises a pair of intersecttheir ends by across pin 2, as shownyor by a quick change step joint'if it is desired that the tool accommodate work having a wide range of diameters. At their rear ends the handles l are formed with loop-type finger grips 3 canted laterally, as shown in Fig. 3.

prises four relatively short, rigid fingers fixed at their inner end on said other handle and extending therefrom generally and symmetrically toward said one handle .but in divergent relation to each other, and 90 apart; the fingersbeing disposed at an angle of, 45

relative to. a line i longitudinally of the tool so as to form, between 1 adjacent ones of the fingers, longitudinal and transverse cable receiving ways.

It is also an object of this inventionto provide a tool, as described, in which the handles include laterally projecting right angle extensions attheir forward end to support said cutter blade and cradle, respectively, in laterally offset rela- .whichwill be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed. These objects I accomplish by means of such At their forward ends the handles l are formed with generally parallel end portions 3 which m clude laterally projecting right angle extensions 5 and 6. The extensions 5 and 6 project laterally.

of thetool in the same direction that the looptype finger grips 3 are canted.

Adjacent its outer end the lateral extension 5 is formed with a socket through which extends a blade shank I. of acutter blade 8; said socket being disposed so that said blade projects toward the lateral extension '6. The cuttingor working ed e 9 of the bladeflfl faces longitudinally ofthe tool and rearwardlyas shown. A set screw II] is threadedinto the end of the lateral extensioni and engages the shank 1 ofthe cutter blade 8.

i A wire or cable receiving cradle is mounted on the outer end of lateral extension 6 and opens towardthe blade 8 in centered relation to the latter, said cradle comprising the following:

the lateral extension ;5 but in divergent relation Four relatively short rigid fingers l I are fixed at their inner end, as by we1ding, on the outer end portion of lateral extension 6, and project i therefrom generally and symmetrically toward to each other, and 90 apart; said fingers being and cradle are 1 l a longitudinal wir or cable receiving way [2,

disposed atan angle of. 45 relative to a line longitudinally of the tool so that the fingers ll I form and a transverse wireor cable receiving way [3.

In use of the tool, and to longitudinally strip 1 cut a wire or cable, such wire or cable 0 1sd1sl posed in the longitudinal way ll of thepcradlep a side elevation a the tool snowand by squeezing the finger grips 3 the operator can efiect and control the depth of penetration of the cutter blade 8 into the work. After such penetration of the blade, the tool is pulled lengthwise relative to the wire or cable C, resulting in a clean longitudinal out. As the finger grips 3 are canted laterally, as described, the line of pull or force applied by the operator is substantially axially of the work.

To ring out a wire, or cable, the latter is disposed in the transverse way I3 of the cradle, as shown in Fig.2, and the finger grips 3 squeezed together to penetrate the cutting blade 8. Thereafter, the tool and the work are relatively rotated through at least one full turn, resulting in the desired ring cut.

After the necessary ring and stripping cuts substantially fulfills the objects of the invention have been made in the sheath or cover ofthe While the device is termed herein as a wirestripping tool, this term is intended to embrace a tool capable of bothstripping and ringing cuts, as above described.

as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my-invention, what I claim as newand useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A wire stripping tool comprising a'pair of supporting elements secured together for relative approaching and separating movement, a cutting blade mounted on one element and projecting toward the other element, and a wire receiving cradle mounted on the other element and opening toward said blade; said cradle being centered relative to the blade and comprising four rigid fingers fixed at their inner end on said other element and projecting in the direction of said one element in divergent relation to each other and approximately 90 apart. l

2. A tool as in claim '1 in which said rigid fingers are disposed at an angle, of approximately relative to a line extending parallel to the blade.

ERNEST S. THOMPSON. 

